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Big Air Report

Some of the world’s best riders performing jaw dropping tricks, mixed with pumping tunes, huge crowds and absurdly stunning surroundings…this was the scene painted as the Cool Water Big Air ended this year’s Chamjam Freesports Festival off with a bang.

The Cool Water Big Air was held on the final day of Chamjam - Europe’s largest winter sports festival, where snowboarding, skiing and music were seamlessly melted together into five days of mountain party. Some of the world’s most recognised names in free-riding, including Jon Olsson, Tanner Hall and Jamie Baker were competing for the $10,000 prize purse, provided by Davidoff Cool Water.

Over 100 new school skiers and snowboarders took part in the Cool Water Big Air. For most it is much more than just a competition and a search for stardom, but a way of life and a search for freedom and pleasure. These events give individuals the chance to express themselves through their freestyle maneuvers and freeride techniques.

The thousands of spectators that lined the mountains were stunned by the high standard of tricks and freestyle movements that each rider pulled off. Judges commented that the standard of the 2002 Cool Water Big Air, far superseded the talent witnessed in previous years - 1080's through to switch 720s and 900s were the flavour of the day.

The final round format, which comprised 16 riders, was a head to head single elimination quarter and semi-finals with a ‘best out of three’ jump final round. An early upset, in the preliminary rounds of the Men’s Ski Big Air left Candide Thovex out of the competition. This opened the door for Boyd Easley who pipped Jon Olsson to the post in the finals with a difficult trick: switch rodeo 720 mute grab.

Tough competition the snowboard discipline, with the likes of Nicolas Bache and Christian Thorensen competing, but Danny Wheeler scooped up first prize with his switch 720, whilst the infamous Lesley McKenna wiped the slate clean in the women's discapline. Marie Martinod (Fr), the first girl to do rodeo 720's on skies, won the Women's ski big air for the second year running.